Walking heel



Sept. 23,I 1947. l J. J. ETTINGER 2,427,951

WALKING HEEL Filed sept. 4, 1946 2 shets-Sheer 1 y@ N @2&2 C@ |h ulm/6' |||v c@ v doge/fingen -r v y www Sept. 23, 1947. J, J, ETTlNGER A 2,427,951

WALKING HEEL A Filed Sept. 4, 1946 2 Shel'fS-Sheek,V 2

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Patented Sept. 23, 1947 WALKING HEEL Joe J. -Ettinger, Warsaw, Ind., assignor to Zimmer Manufacturing Company, Warsaw, Ind.

Application September 4, 1946, Serial No. 694,801

(Cl. 12S-87) Claims.

This invention relates to surgical appliances and especially to ambulatory splints for use after the occurrence of fractures of the lower legs.

More particularly the invention relates to the type of ambulatory splint termed a walking heel. Such splints of this character as have heretofore been used have been commonly provided with a metallic heel plate and a rubber tread. To enable the rubber tread to have proper wearing quality it cannot be much softer and yielding under pressure than the ordinary rubber heel of commerce. While rubber of this characteristic is suiicient to absorbY some of the shock of a well persons walking it does not yield enough to properly absorb the shocks given a broken leg while healing when the patient walks thereon. Attempts have been made to overcome this deciency by the use of metallic springs such as coiled springs, between the heel plate and the tread. However, the use of coiled or other springs requires the provision of spring seats or guides and complicates the apparatus.

v; One important object of the present invention is to provide an improved walking heel wherein provision of simple character is made to give the user relief from all shock.

A second important object of this invention is to provide an improved walking heel wherein the shock due to walking will be absorbed by softly yielding and highly resilient rubber.

A third important object of the invention is to so distribute the shock absorbing rubber as to permit the patients foot to rock on the floor while walking in the same manner as usually occurs with a person having full use of his legs.

A fourth important object of the invention Vis to so construct this invention that the use of metallic fastenings for holding the heel plate, the sole and the shock absorbing rubber in their proper relations will be eliminated.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be presently apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and `particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is an end View of this form.

Figure 3 is a plan view of this form.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a second form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the second form. Figure '7 is an end View of the second form.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8--8 of Figure 5.

In each form of the invention, as here shown, there is provided afoot plate I9, preferably of rectangular shape and having rounded corners. Each form also has a tread which is preferably of the same shape and size as the foot plate. The tread consists of an upper metallic plate and a lower rubber layer, the metallic plate being shown at Illa and the rubber layer at I I. The layer I I is made of comparatively hard rubber such as is commonly used for the heels and soles of ordinary shoes in which these parts are made of rubber. Between each end of the plate IIIa and the foot plate I0 there is interposed a block of highly resilient kand softly yielding rubber as at I2. These blocks I2 may, if desired, be made of sponge rubber vor other equivalent form of rubber. These blocks vI2 are preferably secured to the metal plates IU and Illa by the usual vulcanizing process of uniting metal and rubber. With the parts thus connected there is formed a unitary structure without the use of any metal except that in the plates Ill and Illa.

In the for mof the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 a U-shaped stirrup having a flat bottom I3 and a pair of legs I4 upstanding from the ends of the bottom I3 is provided. The bottom I3 is secured to the foot plate I0 by rivets I5 and extends transversely of the foot plate at its midlength. To the top of each leg I4 there is riveted an arcuate member I6 curved to generally conform to the shape of the leg, the members I6 confronting each other. This stirrup is to be embedded in the plaster cast when the latter is applied tothe leg of the patient.

It Will be seen that the heel plate extends longitudinally in opposite directions from the stirrup so that one end of the heel plate lies, in use, under the heel of the patient while the other end lies beneath the ball of his foot since the stirrup must lie beneath the arch of the foot.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 5 to 8 an extension plate I'I the ends of which are rounded and project beyond the ends of the foot plate I0. This extension plate is made of metal and is secured to the plate I0 by screws I8. The extension plate, like the stirrup, is intended for embedment in the cast worn by the patient.

When this device is in use the yielding of the blocks I2 will so absorb the shocks due to walking that the patient Will be practically freed from all pain due to such shocks. Moreover, the blocks l2, being disposed between the end portions of the foot plate l and tread I I, permit the foot plate to have a natural rocking movement while the patient is walking.

What is claimed is:

1. In a walking heel, a metallic foot plate adapted to extend longitudinally of a wearers foot, said heel plate-being. longitudinally extendedy to lie when` worn both forwardly andA rearwardly of the arch of the wearers foot whereby one end of the plate lies beneath the wearers heel and the other end beneath the ball of the wearers. foot, a rubber tread, and highly elastic rubber blocks interposed between said pla-te' and tread at the ends thereof, said tread rubber being sufficiently' hard to resist usage wear andsaid blocks being softly yieldable.

2. In a walking heel, a metallic foot plate adapted to extend longitudinally of a wearers foot, said heel plate being longitudinally extended to lie when worn both forwardly and rearwardly of the arch of the wearers foot whereby one` end of the plate lies beneath the wearers heel and theV other end beneath the ballA of the wearers foot, a rubber tread, and highly elasticv rubber blocksf interposed between and coherently attached to said plate and tread at the ends` there-v of, said tread rubber being. sufficiently hard to resist usage wear and said blocks being softly yieldable.

3. In a Walking heel, aI metall-io foot plate adapted to extend longitudinally offa wearers` foot, a treadhavingw an upper metallic layer and said heel plate being longitudinally extended to lieV when worn both forwardly and rearwardly of the arch ofthe wearers foot whereby one endof the plate lies beneath thev wearersv heel and the other end' beneath'the.- ball of the wearers foot, a lower rubber'layer vulcanized toftherupper layer, and highly elastic rubber blocksinterpesedv betweenand vulcanized tothev foot plate and the metallic trea'dlayer at the ends'of said` foot plate, said rubber tread layer. being suciently hard to resist usage wear andV saidblocks being softly yieldable;

4. In a walking heel, a metallic foot plate adapted to extend longitudinally of a wearers foot, a tread having an upper metallic layer and said heel plate being longitudinally extended to lie when worn both forwardly and rearwardly of the arch of the wearers foot whereby one end of the plate lies beneath the wearers heel and the other end beneath the ball of the wearers foot,` a; lower rubber layeryu'lcanizedtozthe upper layer', yhigl'ily elastic rubber -blocks` interposed between and vulcanized to the foot plate and the metallic tread layer at the ends of said foot plate, said rubber tread layer being suiciently hard to resist usage wear and said blocks being softlyyieldable', anda stirrup riveted to said heelY plate centrally between the locations of said blocks.

5. In a walkingV heel, a metallic foot plate adapted 'to extend longitudinally of a wearers foot, a tread having an upper metallic layer and said heel plate being longitudinally extended' t0 lie when worn both forwardly and rearward-ly of the arch of the wearers foot whereby one end of the plate liesrbenea-th the wearer-s heel and the other end beneath the ball oi the wearers foot, a lower rubber layer vulcanizedl to' the upper layer,A highly elastic rubber blocks. interposed between and vulcanized. to. the' footl plate and the metallic tread layer atr the endsof said footv plate, said rubber tread layer being sufficiently hard to resist usage wear and said. blocks being. softlyyieldable, and an extension plate. secured. to the top of. the. heely plate. f

JOE J.. ETTINGER.

REFERENCES Girmi,

The: following references are: of record' the le of: this patent:

UNITED STATES; PATENTS i 

